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Revision as of 20:56, December 7, 2015

Template:Species Infobox

"Who would doubt the Prophets? What have they foretold that has not come to pass?"
— The High Prophet of Truth[1]

San'Shyuum (Latin Perfidia vermis,[2] meaning "worms of treachery"),[3] also known as Prophets by many individuals, are a near-extinct species native to Janjur Qom that, prior to the Great Schism, formerly served as the leadership caste of the Covenant. At that time, the San'Shyuum had exerted complete control over the Covenant's religious and political affairs.[2]

The contemporary San'Shyuum civilization developed on a planet rich in artifacts left behind by the Forerunners, whom the Covenant would later revere as their gods.[4] Prophets derive their legitimacy as leaders as well as their colloquial names from this connection. According to the San'Shyuum, their homeworld was destroyed some 3,200 years ago as the result of a natural stellar collapse. Because of this, they elected to make their home on the mobile planetoid station High Charity.[2]

The San'Shyuum waged a fierce and bloody war against the Sangheili between 938 and 852 BCE,[5] halted only by their realization that the war would never come to an end.[4] The two races united to learn their secrets, forming a mutually beneficial arrangement that would eventually become the Covenant, although they usually saw themselves above the Sangheili. The Sangheili became the protectors of the Prophets while the Prophets dedicated themselves to studying their "gods" and learning the secrets behind the "ascension" they left on.[6]

Since the activation of the Halo Array and the subsequent reseeding, the San'Shyuum population has diminished. While their population at the time of the reintroduction was 500,000,000,[2] there were only 23,831,463 living San'Shyuum by 2552. After the Flood invasion of High Charity, the majority of their species was consumed, leaving less than a thousand alive.[2] Most of the survivors soon vanished inexplicably.[7][8]

History

Prehistory

"The San'Shyuum are not naturally inclined to war. They are a handsome, intelligent race, besotted with eternal sexuality and youth. They hoped to spend their lives in luxury. For all that, their science was extraordinary."
— The Didact, referring to the prehistoric San'Shyuum[9]

Early on in their first space-faring civilization, the San'Shyuum mined material in the Oort cloud surrounding their home system for starship fuel.[10] Later, the San'Shyuum achieved remarkable technological sophistication, and after encountering the prehistoric human civilization, the San'Shyuum and the humans formed an alliance, based on the planet Charum Hakkor, forming a major power in the Orion Arm of the galaxy.[9] The San'Shyuum were commonly regarded as a peaceful species.[11] During this period, they encountered the Flood for the first time, but the spread of the infection was successfully pushed back by their human allies while it was still relatively minor. The empire later collapsed when the San'Shyuum surrendered during the human-Forerunner wars.[9]

The Forerunners established a quarantine shield that encompassed Janjur Qom and two other inner planets in the system. Under the watch of the Confirmer and the Fortress-class vessel Deep Reverence, the San'Shyuum inhabited Janjur Qom, one other planet, and the moons of both worlds.[12] The San'Shyuum managed to regain a comfortable lifestyle, with light commerce and travel between the quarantined worlds under their "control". Abandoning their hedonistic lifestyles for guidance under religious elders,[13] the San'Shyuum were overtly "modern citizens" to the Forerunners.[12] However, as the Confirmer grew lax in his duties, the San'Shyuum began stockpiling outdated Forerunner weaponry on the third quarantined planet.[13][14] During the Forerunner-Flood war, the Librarian visited Janjur Qom to secure specimens of San'Shyuum for preservation from the Halo Array. The San'Shyuum elders correctly suspected that a catastrophe was imminent, and launched a short-lived uprising against their Forerunner overseers. All San'Shyuum on the planet were subsequently killed when a Halo was fired on a low power setting nearby.[15] The surface of Janjur Qom remained scarred from the battle for millennia to come and while the events themselves were forgotten, San'Shyuum myth held that their kind had once been punished for rebellion against their gods in the ancient past.[16]

Five hundred million San'Shyuum would be reseeded on their homeworld following the firing of the Halo Array.[2] Having lost nearly all memory of the Forerunners, they discovered Forerunner technology on their homeworld and based their religion around the artifacts they found.[17] Meanwhile, a fragment of Mendicant Bias took control of a keyship that reseeded Janjur Qom and attempted to take it to Earth, but the starship ultimately crashed on the San'Shyuum homeworld.[18]

San'Shyuum Schism

Main article: San'Shyuum Schism

Following the activation of the Halo Array, the San'Shyuum recovered faster than most species, with their technological advancements enhanced by the presence of numerous Forerunner relics on their planet.[19] The San'Shyuum redeveloped technology, language, and culture and philosophy based on their observation of these Forerunner artifacts, having little to no knowledge of their species' previous conflicts with the Forerunners.[20] In 2200 BCE, a radical group of San'Shyuum believed that they should enter into the Forerunner Dreadnought present on their planet and learn from its technology. The majority of the San'Shyuum considered the claim to be heresy, leading to the radical San'Shyuum rebelling. As the San'Shyuum Schism begun, two factions emerged: the conservative Stoics, who refused to enter and desecrate the Dreadnought, and the militant progressive Reformists, radicals who wanted to develop new technologies by entering and studying the Dreadnought.[21][19][22]

Several San'Shyuum Reformists

Towards the climax of the war, approximately one thousand of the most radical Reformists broke into the Dreadnought an occupied it.[20] While they learned how to activate and commandeer the vessel, the Reformists occasionally raided Stoic territory to collect and stock the ship with natural resources and supplies.[23] In 2100 BCE, the Reformists finally learned how to activate the Dreadnought. The outraged Stoics were unable to take action, since even their fury toward the Reformists could not bring them to destroy the object of their reverence. The Reformists then took flight from Janjur Qom, breaking off a massive chunk of rock in doing so. This piece of rock would later become the foundation of High Charity, the future holy city of the Covenant.[19][22] With the help of the Forerunner technology from the Dreadnought, the Reformists were able to survive and travel the galaxy.[19]

Although the Reformists had achieved victory and left the Stoics behind, they realized that they were doomed due to the small number that had joined their cause to control the Dreadnought.[22] With an extremely small gene pool, they enacted strict controls around mating to prevent potentially disastrous inbreeding. The Stoics continued to inhabit Janjur Qom and developed Tier 5 technology on their own, still refusing to "desecrate" Forerunner artifacts. Later, a task force of the nascent Covenant would covertly procure a small group of healthy females from Janjur Qom to ensure genetic diversity in the space-faring San'Shyuum.[24] The San'Shyuum in the Covenant would later maintain that Janjur Qom had been destroyed circa 648 BCE by its star going supernova, although this information could not be verified.[2]

War and the Covenant

The San'Shyuum encountered the Sangheili in 938 BCE, and the War of Beginnings soon began when a hostile first contact resulted due to vastly differing beliefs. As with the San'Shyuum Stoics, the Sangheili believed that Forerunner technology should not be touched or used for personal gain, while the San'Shyuum believed that it should be reverse-engineered to further their own technology.[19] Their first meeting on the Sangheili frontier colony of Ulgethon resulted in a bloody engagement.[25] Physically, the Sangheili were far superior—one Sangheili warrior was the equal to at least ten San'Shyuum.[26] However, technologically, the San'Shyuum had the advantage. The San'Shyuum had the Forerunner Dreadnought under their control, and proceeded to wipe out the Sangheili armada using hit-and-run tactics. Sanghelios, the Sangheili homeworld, was even attacked by the Reformists as the conflict waged on. Eventually, the Sangheili realized that their only chance for survival lay in using the Forerunner relics on their planet to engineer more effective weapons.[5] This forced the Sangheili to abandon their convictions, and with the core reason of their conflict now gone, the two races united in 852 BCE to form the early Covenant, with the San'Shyuum as the head religious leaders and the Sangheili as the military backbone and defenders of the Prophets.[19]

The Writ of Union was ratified by both species, which established the Covenant. Following the terms of the treaty, the San'Shyuum's Dreadnought was decommissioned and made the center point and power source of High Charity, a mobile planetoid and holy capital of the Covenant.[26] The San'Shyuum established themselves as the dominant ruling caste of the Covenant. Over the years of the Covenant Empire's existence, other species were encountered within the Orion Arm and incorporated into the Covenant. These client species worked as either soldiers or laborers for the Covenant and worshipped the San'Shyuum and their teachings, at least overtly.[19] The San'Shyuum were essentially in total control of a powerful, unified empire stretching across hundreds of worlds and billions of individuals.[20]

Human-Covenant War

The Prophet of Truth, the principal Hierarch during the Human-Covenant War

In 2525, three San'Shyuum learned that the recently discovered humans were the inheritors of the Forerunners' Mantle, decreed by the Forerunners themselves.[27] Realizing that this revelation could dismantle the Covenant, these San'Shyuum initiated a political coup against the Covenant's High Prophets and ascended to the position of Hierarchs themselves, with the support of the High Council. Now taking the titles of the High Prophets of Truth, Mercy, and Regret, the Hierarchs of the Covenant declared a holy war against humanity.[28] As the war dragged on for decades, the Sangheili's near-complete control of the Covenant military proved to be a source of friction and distrust from the San'Shyuum, including the High Prophet of Truth. With several San'Shyuum seeking to overthrow the Sangheili, the Jiralhanae were secretly armed and empowered by Truth.[29]

In November of 2552, with the activation index of Installation 05 under Covenant control, the Covenant's Great Journey appeared near. With the assassination of the High Prophet of Regret, Truth faulted the Sangheili and eventually ordered the massacre of the Sangheili High Councilors to prevent the election of another San'Shyuum in place of Regret.[30] This ultimately resulted in the Great Schism and the fragmentation of the Covenant. The Sangheili abandoned the Covenant and declared a war of their own against the San'Shyuum and Jiralhanae,[31] with many eventually allying with humanity.[32] Further events led to a Flood outbreak on High Charity that led to the deaths of millions of San'Shyuum.[2] Simultaneously, many San'Shyuum traveled to the surface of Installation 05 in preparation for the Great Journey, inadvertently avoiding Flood infection.[33] Ultimately, the firing of Installation 05 was averted and the Covenant forces in the system were either destroyed or retreated.[32] With the outbreak of the Flood and its subsequent arrival on the holy city High Charity, the San'Shyuum had experienced two extinction events within a "single great cycle". Only those individuals who were permanently posted somewhere other than High Charity are certain to have survived.[2] With the death of Truth in December of 2552, the Covenant was destroyed by the allied human and Sangheili forces.[34] The San'Shyuum's current total population is now estimated at less than one thousand.[2]

Post-Covenant War

With their population at dangerously low levels following the loss of High Charity, and now having to contend with the wrath of their former guardians, the San'Shyuum gave their new Jiralhanae protectors access to all the technology they had. Immediately following the collapse of the Covenant and the end of the Human-Covenant War, however, the remaining San'Shyuum apparently vanished. The Sangheili had heard rumors that the San'Shyuum went on the Great Journey, but most disregarded them.[7] As this coincided with the disappearance of most Huragok, others believed that the San'Shyuum may have taken the Huragok with them when they fled. By 2558, limited numbers of San'Shyuum continued to be encountered within the Unified Earth Government's and the former Covenant's sphere of influence in the galaxy.[35]

Biology

Anatomy and physiology

A close-up of the face of a San'Shyuum

San'Shyuum are a gangly, bipedal species, with very long, serpentine necks and limbs. San'Shyuum have frail skeletal structures which require slow and delicate movement.[20] The species generally has elongated heads, with prehensile,[36] salamandrine lips. The skin of the San'Shyuum changes complexion with age; younger members of the species have light brown skin, with the complexion paling with age. Hair sparsely covered the body of a San'Shyuum, though many individuals had most, if not all, hair removed from their bodies.[37] They evolved on Janjur Qom—a planet with low gravity—and tend to have some degree of difficulty moving in higher-gravity environments. Although young San'Shyuum are significantly stronger and more mobile, the majority of San'Shyuum in the Covenant are very elderly, and this combined with a life of physical inactivity leaves most of the Covenant's San'Shyuum withered and weak. As a result, most San'Shyuum wear some form of anti-gravity device. However, they are capable of moving unaided, if only for a brief period of time.[38]

Prehistoric San'Shyuum were typically very lithe and muscular; both the Forerunners and humans considered the San'Shyuum to be very beautiful.[12] Young adult San'Shyuum have shorter necks, more prominent noses and chins and closer eyes than their elder counterparts, resulting in a marked resemblance to humans,[39] enough for the two species to find one another attractive.[12] After their surrender in the human-Forerunner wars, the San'Shyuum began to place their trust in the wisdom of often-paraplegic elders, though their warriors retained the musculature for which their species was renowned.[40] Millennia later, the San'Shyuum Reformists would come to adopt a similar sedentary lifestyle, although the Stoics who inhabited the San'Shyuum homeworld and remained noticeably more healthy and fit due to Janjur Qom's higher gravity and their genetic diversity.[41] Some records suggest that the prehistoric San'Shyuum were genetically manipulated by the Forerunners at the end of the human-Forerunner wars, resulting in an unfortunate physical reduction of their species as punishment for their alliance with humanity.[20]

The Prophet of Mercy, an elderly San'Shyuum

San'Shyuum have distinct, often fur-covered, lobes of skin hanging underneath their chin similar to a beard, known as "wattles".[37] Only when an individual was deep into adulthood did a wattle weigh enough to slump down to their chin.[42] As a result, younger San'Shyuum did not have prominent wattles, at least not under their chins.[43] San'Shyuum also have fleshy, hanging appendages on either side of their head;[42] despite their resemblance to ears, San'Shyuum actually receive sound at the back of the head.[citation needed]

San'Shyuum are tridactyly-fingered—meaning that they have three digits on each hand, including a shorter thumb—with narrow, highly tactile hands.[20] They are capable of, though typically unwilling, using handheld weaponry. Their prehensile,[44] gnarled feet[42] have three toes each, which are bent backward so that a San'Shyuum's weight is balanced on the knuckles of its feet.[1][34] Their feet are often atrophied to a point of uselessness. This unconventional foot structure further complicates their movement when they are not being supported by anti-gravity systems.[20]

Reproduction and life cycle

The fertility cycle of a female San'Shyuum is short and rather uncommon, with numerous cycles in between each one. When the female was fertile, specific hormones caused male San'Shyuum to have a greater desire for procreation with their mate.[45] The species apparently give birth to live offspring.[46] Female San'Shyuum generally give birth to a single child, though broods of twins and triplets are possible. Pregnancy and childbirth becomes increasingly difficult with advanced age.[47] The fertility cycle of the San'Shyuum was referred to as the time of Reproductive Yielding.[45]

The lifespan of a San'Shyuum is extensive, largely as a result of advanced medical technology intended to ensure longevity, with many San'Shyuum living for hundreds of years.[20] Such a process began in about 1552, approximately one thousand years before the collapse of the Covenant. Currently, more than a quarter of their population are now super-bicentenarians.[2] With age, hair grew more sparsely and white, the skin paled,[37] and physical ailments such as arthritis developed.[48] Elder San'Shyuum in the Covenant were forced to use their herbal medicines regularly.[49] The San'Shyuum were also remarkably long-lived by the time of the Forerunners; the First Prophet, for example, was over nine thousand years old by 100,000 BCE.[50]

Culture

Society

During the time of the Forerunners, the San'Shyuum culture was centered around the pursuit of beauty and pleasure. They were known throughout the galaxy for their hedonism, their beauty, and their skills at manipulating other races with their nearly universal appeal.[9][12] Following their surrender in the human-Forerunner wars, however, their culture became centered around the guidance of elderly religious leaders known as prophets.[51]

Before the Covenant was formed, the one thousand or so San'Shyuum Reformists—who believed in using Forerunner technology for their use and wished to explore the Forerunner Dreadnought they had discovered—left their homeworld, leaving the Stoics behind.[19][22] The resulting calamity meant that the Covenant San'Shyuum population was reduced to a few thousand, forcing the species to carefully manage their gene pool to prevent the loss of beneficial genes and the introduction of undesirable traits, with individuals possessing negative recessive traits placed in the Roll of Celibates to prevent their breeding.[47] Those who managed the Roll were were incredibly strict to ensure that genetic diversity was maintained.[21] Not even Hierarchs were above the influence of the Roll. However, if they should have such sexual urges, the San'Shyuum will use concubines. Should a pregnancy should occur, it must be aborted or the children will be killed at birth and the father sterilized. The fertility cycles of female San'Shyuum are short and far between, which would make it difficult for San'Shyuum to have children. As a result, San'Shyuum held a celebration called a Birthing Period for when a child was conceived.[47] The prehistoric, quarantined San'Shyuum once celebrated procreation, as the San'Shyuum populations were heavily controlled to prevent overpopulation.[51]

San'Shyuum have an assortment of titles, most notably the title of High Prophet. The title of Minor Prophet is subordinate to that of Prophet, but still relatively high. Both titles dealt with religious and political matters within the Covenant.[52] High Lord was a San'Shyuum title that existed in the Covenant's early history and was comparatively low in San'Shyuum society.[53] At least during the First Age of Conflict, the Reformist San'Shyuum possessed a caste system in which those born of a lower-caste brood were destined for a life of servitude as Stewards to their superiors, such as High Lords.[54] The role of Steward continued to be in effect by 2552.[55] Clerics were employed by the San'Shyuum to fulfil medicinal duties;[42] Vice Clerics were subordinate to them.[56]

Role within the Covenant

"Every member of the Covenant shall walk the path. None will be left behind when our Great Journey begins. That is the Prophets' age-old promise, and it shall be fulfilled!"
— The High Prophet of Regret[57]
The High Prophets of Truth and Mercy

The San'Shyuum made up the ruling religious caste of the Covenant Empire.[58] The San'Shyuum held a vital position in the Covenant because they were solely responsible for studying the holy Forerunner artifacts and using them to develop new technologies,[42] and also because they manage political affairs and maintain order in the Covenant. San'Shyuum High Councilors hold over one hundred seats on the Covenant High Council,[59] formerly sharing this responsibility with the Sangheili[60] until the dawn of the Great Schism. The primary goal of San'Shyuum within the Covenant is to locate, study, and incorporate Forerunner technology to fully understand and advance the Great Journey.[21] Covenant society as a whole was based on the expectation of the San'Shyuum leading the other species of the empire to transcendence.[61] The Covenant's ruling caste appeared to encompass both the San'Shyuum and the Sangheili, though the San'Shyuum ultimately had more power within the empire as they were believed to be "the voice of the Gods". In actuality, the two species had an uneasy coexistence by 2552, and there was a significant amount of political infighting among the ruling caste.[58]

San'Shyuum and Sangheili High Councilors

At any given time, the Covenant is headed by a triumvirate of San'Shyuum, known as the Hierarchs. Although the High Council had an equal representation of both the San'Shyuum and Sangheili, the Hierarchs that led the council ultimately dictated all policies and decisions.[29] Below the Hierarchs, the High Councilors of the Covenant determined legislation and executed the day-to-day affairs of the government.[30] Ministers, whom also held office as High Councilors, headed the ministerial bodies that made up part of the Covenant's executive branch. Vice Ministers served as the deputies to their Ministers and were granted the duty of substituting in for their Minister on the High Council, if their superiors were unable to attend a session. Senior and junior staffers were positions within a ministry, serving to aid their superiors in dealing with ministry matters.[62] Early in the Covenant's history, San'Shyuum once held a more active position within the military, serving as starship captains, gunners, and officers.[63] Eventually, the military was under near-total control of the Sangheili.[29]

As the representatives of the gods, the Prophets held a great amount of power over the other races of the Covenant, earning reverential titles such as "Holy One" and "Eminence".[64] They are protected at all times by legions of Honor Guardsmen, whom will loyally defend the San'Shyuum to the death,[65] and rarely involve themselves in combat, preferring to dedicate themselves to studying Forerunner artifacts. However, important events to the Covenant usually require a high-ranking Prophet, such as a Hierarch, to be present.[6] Both the architecture and the structural aesthetics of weapons and vehicles of the Covenant was predominantly San'Shyuum in nature and design. Sangheili influence in these designs grew over the Covenant's years of existence.[29]

Religion and spirituality

"The Great Journey is not merely a matter of being ready militarily, though that is of importance. But truly, those who seek the light of the seven Rings must be purified within, utterly convinced of the truth of the Prophets, to the last vestige of their being, and willing to die for the cause without hesitation."
— Qurlom, on devotion to the Great Journey[66]
The San'Shyuum served as the spiritual leaders of the Covenant's religion

Early San'Shyuum religion held that the Forerunner artifacts on Janjur Qom were holy and the examination of these artifacts—in too great a depth—was considered heresy. Though, the San'Shyuum did slowly study the Forerunner Dreadnought, the focal point of the ancient San'Shyuum religion.[19] Between 2200 and 2100 BCE, a civil war broke out between two factions with differing opinions on the treatment of Forerunner artifacts. The Reformists, whom believed that Forerunner technology should be utilized, boarded the Dreadnought and left Janjur Qom.[22] Over the centuries that followed, the San'Shyuum Reformists—which eventually founded the Covenant—refined their own religion and beliefs, and ultimately served as the architects of the Covenant religion. With the establishment of their empire, the San'Shyuum titled themselves the religious leaders of the Covenant.[21]

The contemporary San'Shyuum religion is based off Forerunner documents found within terminals of the Dreadnought. However, the San'Shyuum misunderstood these documents, and misinterpreted the firing of the Halo Array as a means of transcending life. The San'Shyuum termed this process the "Great Journey"[58] and believed that the Forerunners had initiated the first Great Journey to transcend to the divine beyond. The San'Shyuum believed that transcendence led to godhood.[67] The San'Shyuum made their religion the focus of the Covenant, with all of its client species working together to discover the "Sacred Rings" and begin the Great Journey; though, some species and even San'Shyuum were less pious then others.[68]

Some San'Shyuum practiced asceticism, a form of Forerunner worship that advocated extreme humility in the presence of Forerunner technology.[37] Led by the Philologist, the ascetic priests were followers of the ideology that were responsible for the insertion of trained Lekgolo into the inner workings of the Forerunner Dreadnought on High Charity, with the intentions of gaining more knowledge on the keyship.[59] Asceticism practitioners lacked interest in personal hygiene and fashion, with unkempt hair and skin, humble robes, and operating anti-gravity chairs of stone, rather than metal.[37]

Fashion and dress

The dress of a mid-22nd century Hierarch

San'Shyuum politicians generally dress themselves in robes—sometimes made of filigreed material.[69] The robes varied in complexity and color, with the overall design of the robe typically reflecting the personality of its wearer. Personal designs on robes ranged from golden thread on a scarlet robe to represent interlinked star systems to a simple white robe.[70] San'Shyuum that oversaw an engagement from the frontlines—at least during the War of Beginnings—wore an ornately sewn ceremonial robe with hidden body armor underneath.[71] San'Shyuum captains wore a uniform robe sewn with stars indicating the systems they served in.[72] Some San'Shyuum also wore jewellery, such as "earrings" on the fleshy appendages that hung from their heads; such jewellery was typically worn by males to indicate that they had not yet committed to a single mate.[42]

The majority of mature San'Shyuum use an anti-gravity chair to support themselves,[37] a more advanced form of the wheeled chairs they used before the activation of the Halo Array.[73] Many San'Shyuum additionally don an antigravity belt for support while out of their chairs.[74] Higher-ranking Prophets, such as the Hierarchs, use shielded anti-gravity thrones to support themselves. These however, are not so much for support as they are for personal defense—they are fitted with holographic emitters, an energy shield generator, a short-range teleportation device, and built-in assault cannons. In the event of assassins getting past their guards, they are able to defend themselves quite well with the assault cannons.[6] In the Covenant, anti-gravity chairs improved as its operator's position within the empire rose.[75] Both the chairs and belts were often decorated by its operators.[76] Additionally, many San'Shyuum wore complex headpieces of varying design.[77][78]

Naming conventions

At birth, San'Shyuum are given a first name and a family name. However, later in life, if they ascend to a certain level in the Covenant's political hierarchy, they prefer to be addressed by their title.[21] San'Shyuum of different political positions may hold the spiritual title of Prophet by which their species is known;[79] the title generally includes a trait the individual claims to possess.[21] High-ranking San'Shyuum may call a subordinate Prophet by their original name to "put them in their place".[80]

Some San'Shyuum are known by multiple cultural, political and religious titles; for example, Mken 'Scre'ah'ben held the titles of High Lord, Minister of Relic Safety, and the Prophet of Inner Conviction.[81] Upon their Ascension, San'Shyuum Hierarchs may select a regal name from a list of former High Prophets or choose their title based on the quality they publicly wish to emulate.[21] Though this is not always the case. The High Prophet of Truth chose the name "Truth" as a reminder to himself of the truths he must never tell, and the lies he would have to spin to prevent the Covenant from fragmenting.[82]

Homeworld

Main articles: Janjur Qom, High Charity
Janjur Qom, the San'Shyuum homeworld

Janjur Qom was the homeworld of the San'Shyuum. The planet had an atmosphere comparable to Earth or Sanghelios, and its only natural satellite was Plaon. The Reformist San'Shyuum fled their homeworld aboard the Forerunner Dreadnought and eventually formed the Covenant, leaving the Stoics behind. The San'Shyuum of Reformist lineage claim that Janjur Qom was destroyed when its star went supernova in 648 BCE. Although many in the Covenant suspected the San'Shyuum claim was false, little was done to dispute it. Only a handful of San'Shyuum know the location of the world.[18]

With the alleged destruction of Janjur Qom and the establishment of the Covenant, the Reformist San'Shyuum began building a new homeworld around the Dreadnought and the large piece of rock that had been inadvertently ripped out and taken away by the keyship when the vessel initially departed from the world.[22] The new home of the San'Shyuum became known as High Charity,[18] and it soon became the holy capital of the Covenant Empire. Home to millions of the Covenant's politicians and constituents, High Charity also served as a mobile space station. High Charity was destroyed in 2552 when the Flood managed to infect the holy city.[83]

Technology

Covenant architecture was heavily influenced by the architecture of the San'Shyuum. Under the preferences of the San'Shyuum, the Covenant's architecture was primarily comprised of large elegant, sweeping shapes—broad parabolic silhouettes that embellish even the most functional and utilitarian of devices. Metals and stone composites used by the Covenant and particularly the San'Shyuum are generally colored in shades of purple and gray, bonded together by a variety of exotic alloys using a tight hexagonal mesh.[20]

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Trivia

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  • The High Prophets' names are almost always ironic counterpoints to their behavior. The Prophet of Truth was prone to lying, the Prophet of Mercy was very harsh towards others, the Prophet of Regret was headstrong and unapologetic, and the Prophet of Restraint stepped down as a result of high sexual exploits when it was forbidden for him to do so, therefore showing a lack of restraint.
  • The San'Shyuum are the only Covenant species that does not appear in Halo: Reach.

Gallery

List of appearances

Sources

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  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Best
  3. ^ HBO Forums
  4. ^ a b Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Conversations
  5. ^ a b Halo Encyclopedia, page 30
  6. ^ a b c Halo 2
  7. ^ a b Halo: Evolutions, The Return
  8. ^ Halo: Glasslands, page 256
  9. ^ a b c d Halo: Cryptum, page 113
  10. ^ Halo: Cryptum, page 143
  11. ^ Halo: Cryptum, Glossary
  12. ^ a b c d e Halo: Cryptum, pages 170-171
  13. ^ a b Halo: Cryptum, pages 210-218
  14. ^ Halo Cryptum, page 198
  15. ^ Halo: Primordium, pages 167-168
  16. ^ Halo: Broken Circle, pages 95-96
  17. ^ Halo Encyclopedia, page 115
  18. ^ a b c Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named qom
  19. ^ a b c d e f g h i Halo Encyclopedia, page 120 (2011)
  20. ^ a b c d e f g h i Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named universe
  21. ^ a b c d e f g Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named ENC
  22. ^ a b c d e f Halo: Contact Harvest, page 262
  23. ^ Halo: Broken Circle, page 57 (Google Play edition)
  24. ^ Halo: Broken Circle, page 108
  25. ^ Halo 2: Anniversary, Terminal 6
  26. ^ a b Halo: Contact Harvest, page 147
  27. ^ Halo: Contact Harvest, page 275
  28. ^ Halo: Contact Harvest, pages 381-385
  29. ^ a b c d Halo Waypoint: Covenant
  30. ^ a b Halo Waypoint: High Council
  31. ^ Halo 2, campaign level Uprising
  32. ^ a b Halo 2, campaign level The Great Journey
  33. ^ Halo: Evolutions, "Wages of Sin", page 300
  34. ^ a b Halo 3, campaign level The Covenant
  35. ^ Halo Waypoint: Catalog Interaction
  36. ^ Halo: Broken Circle, page 52 (Google Play edition)
  37. ^ a b c d e f Halo: Contact Harvest, pages 143-145
  38. ^ Halo: Broken Circle, page 95 (Google Play edition)
  39. ^ Halo: Broken Circle, page 216
  40. ^ Halo: Cryptum, page 215
  41. ^ Halo: Broken Circle, page 107
  42. ^ a b c d e f Halo: Contact Harvest, page 152
  43. ^ Halo 2: Anniversary, Terminals
  44. ^ Halo: The Essential Visual Guide, page 147
  45. ^ a b Halo: Broken Circle, pages 52-55 (Google Play edition)
  46. ^ Halo: Broken Circle, page 171
  47. ^ a b c Halo: Contact Harvest, pages 261-265
  48. ^ Halo: Broken Circle, pages 161-163 (Google Play edition)
  49. ^ Halo: Broken Circle, page 48
  50. ^ Halo: Cryptum, page 216
  51. ^ a b Halo: Cryptum, pages 183-184
  52. ^ Halo: The Flood, page 6 (2010)
  53. ^ Halo: Broken Circle, page 20 (Google Play edition)
  54. ^ Halo: Broken Circle, page 4
  55. ^ Halo 2: Anniversary, Terminal 1
  56. ^ Halo: The Fall of Reach (2010), Bonus Content
  57. ^ Halo 2, campaign level Regret
  58. ^ a b c Halo Encyclopedia, page 118 (2010)
  59. ^ a b Halo: Contact Harvest, page 271
  60. ^ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named h2heretic
  61. ^ Halo Encyclopedia, page 119 (2011)
  62. ^ Halo: Contact Harvest, pages 151-154
  63. ^ Halo: Broken Circle, page 79 (Google Play edition)
  64. ^ Halo: Broken Circle, page 110 (Google Play edition)
  65. ^ Halo: Contact Harvest, page 154
  66. ^ Halo: Broken Circle, page 22 (Google Play edition)
  67. ^ Halo: Contact Harvest, page 58
  68. ^ Halo: Broken Circle, page 23 (Google Play edition)
  69. ^ Halo: Broken Circle, page 62 (Google Play edition)
  70. ^ Halo: Broken Circle, pages 19-20 (Google Play edition)
  71. ^ Halo: Broken Circle, page 7 (Google Play edition)
  72. ^ Halo: Broken Circle, page 88 (Google Play edition)
  73. ^ Halo: Cryptum, page 211
  74. ^ Halo: Broken Circle, page 214
  75. ^ Halo: Contact Harvest, page 149
  76. ^ Halo: Broken Circle, page 163 (Google Play edition)
  77. ^ Halo: The Flood, page 107 (2010)
  78. ^ Halo: Broken Circle, page 72 (Google Play edition)
  79. ^ Halo: Broken Circle, pages 20, 214
  80. ^ Halo: Broken Circle, page 73 (Google Play edition)
  81. ^ Halo: Broken Circle, page 17
  82. ^ Halo: Contact Harvest, page 384
  83. ^ Halo Waypoint: High Charity

Template:Covenant

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